Thursday, 1 December 2016 11:47:24 Europe/London

Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire are the silver screen’s most sophisticated couple. They shared an incredible chemistry and friendship. As Katharine Hepburn quipped, “Fred gave Ginger class while she gave him sex appeal”. Fred’s nickname for Ginger was Feathers; Ginger had designed herself a dress for the film Top Hat which was not popular with Fred as it shed clouds of feathers but the dress is breath-taking in its movement. Astaire’s tuxedos were more minimalist than was the fashion of the Thirties but this swiftly became the standard style; the softer tailoring enabled him to move freely. Top Hat is the archetypal Art Deco film and is my favourite Christmas viewing. Ginger’s bedroom and her peignoirs, all satin and lace, are a dream of elegance. As well as her dancing gowns, Ginger also does a twirl in her jodhpurs complete with a tweed jacket, and her daytime costumes are all delicious. As Ginger wryly noted, “I did everything Fred did except backwards in high heels”. We may not be going to the ball but let’s enjoy the glorious glamour of Fred and Ginger.